Samuel t



pers at the small opening in the oxidizing pipe `for its admission, andthese pipes communisAMUnL rr.- JoNEs, or New roi-ix, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ZINC-WHITE Speciiicaiion forming partof Letters Patent No. 6,756, dated February 24, 1852.

To a/ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL T. JoNEs, vof the city, county, and State ofN ew York, have Invented certain new and useful improvements in themethod of collecting or saving the volatile products of distillation oroxidation of zinc and other volatile metals; and I do hereby declarethat the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

Drawings are hereinafter described.

My invention relates to the collecting or saving of the volatileproducts of distillation or of oxidation of zinc and other volatilemetals, which I propose to collect in chambers or bags constructedwholly or principally of closely-made cloth of cotton, woolen, flaxen,or other brous or textile material capable of separating and retainingthe desired products, while the air or gaseous portion is to be forcedor drawn through the pores of the cloth by means of a fan-blower orother suitable propelling or exhausting` apparatus. This apparatusshould be placed in a main orlarge tube, or in connection therewith.This main or large tube is to be in communication with the severalsmaller pipes or tubes adjusted to the retort or retorts or ovens and tothe condensing chamber or bag or bags, to be attached thereto, and isintended for the double purpose of drawing the vapors from the retortsor ovens, as well as the atmospheric air admitted for the purpose ofoxidizing the Vaor chamber near the mouth of the retort, or through anopening or openings into the ovens cate with the main pipe, which formsthe channel through which the oxidized `products and accompanying airand gases are respectively forced into or through the pores of the bagor chamber, so that the atmospheric air or gases may be propelled intothe open air, while the oxidized products will be retained in the bag orchamber.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l represents a longitudinalelevation of the straining apparatus which has been successfully used;Fig. 2, a longitudinal vertical section, and Fig. 3 a cross-sectiontaken at the line A a of Fig. l.

The same letters indicate like parts in all the iigures. Y y

a2 represents a portion of the main pipe,

made of metal. It leads to the various retorts, mui-fles, or ovens, andreceives the fumes and gases therefrom. The main pipe should be ofsufficient length to permit the fumes and gases to cool, so as toprevent them from burning the strainer. The end of this pipecommunicates with the casing bz of a fan-blower mounted on the shaft c2,so that the fumes and gases shall be drawn into'the fan by thecentrifugal action of its vanes Z2 and forced out through the spout cZinto the mouth of a long straining-bag, f2, made of canvas or othercloth closely made of cotton, wool, flax, or other textile substance.Strong cotton cloth closely woven has been found by experience toproduce a good effect.

Along the bottom, at convenient distances apart, the strainer isprovided with branch pipes g2, of the saine material, open at both ends,but which are to be tied at'the lower end to collect the `products ofthe distillation when deposited. Before opening the lower end, in orderto discharge these branch pipes, they are to be tied up tight near thestrainer, and then opened at the lower end, and the contents allowed tofall out. If the bag or sides of the chamber be4 composed of materialstoo slight to withstand the pressure on its inner surface, that pressuremay be received by an exterior inclosing-bag of network, or one formedof stouter materials, which outer bag should be made of somewhat smallersize than the inner bag, or by an open frame-work of wires crossing andrecrossing each other, and forming an exterior support to the clothsides of the chamber, in order to receive its pressure. inner bag orsides of the chamber become clogged, they may be relieved by striking orwhipping it on the outside, or by stopping for a short time theexhausting or blowing apparatus and allowing it to collapse, and thenshaking it, or by turning the bag inside out, and then to apply thepressure to the opposite side. n It is necessary to make this bag orchamber of a size to present sufficient strainingsurface, according tothe power of the blower and the work to be done, so as to allow the airand gases to make their escape with facility, it being a principalfeature of the invention that the pores of the cloth should be so minutethat the products of distillation may not be forced through by the powerof the blower or ex- Should the pores of the hausting apparatus, and atthe same time not to prevent the escape of the air and laccompanyinggases, which will be by the most gentle exhalation through the extendedsurfaces formed by the sides of the receiving bag or chamber, orotherwise the desired products will escape at the same time and be lost.It is evident, therefore, that a single strainer of moderate -size willbe ineffective and unable to accomplish the collection of such raresubstances to any useful or desirable extent, and that the extendedsurfaces of my receiving bag or chamber, whose sides are composedentirely or principally of the porous cloth, will be adequate thereto. Abag about eight feet in diameter and seventy feet long has been used forthe collection 0f the white oxide of yzinc from sixty small retorts; butif made larger, better results will be attained; and, if deemedadvisable, the diameter of the bag may be lessened,whilc its lengthshould be increased in proportion; or several bags may be used insteadof a single one; and so, also, in respect to a chamber composed ofporous sides .of cloth, should it be used in preference to a bag.

It is evident that a square or oblong chamber may be used instead of abag, the principal portions of the top or sides or bottom part of whichmay be formed of the strainingcloth, as above described. An air-tightchamber may also be used with a straining-bag adapted to its end andpassing into the interior of the chamber, the end of the bag being incommunication with the main or tubes communicating with the retorts orovens; and on applying the exhausting apparatus at the other end of thechamber the same object may be accomplished. Besides collecting theproducts of Zinc, it is evident that these collecting bags or chambersmay be used for other similar useful purposes.

I am aware that lampblack has been collected by causing it to deposit onthe inner surface of a series of canvas bags by causing the products ofthe combustion to pass through a series of such bags, the upper end ofthe last of the series being open for inducing a current; but thiscannot be successfully employed for the collection of the volatileproducts of the distillation or oxidation of zinc and vother volatilemetals, for the reason that there is a great'waste by the escape at theopen end of the series; and I am also aware that lampblaclr has beencollected on the inner surface of a hood made of porous cloth covering avessel or receiver, the gases escaping through the meshes or pores ofthe cloth and depositing the lamp-black on the inner surface; but thiswill not answer a practical purpose for the collection of the volatileproducts of the distillation or oxidation of zinc and othervolatilemetals, because the cloth hood so far impedesthe draft induced byrarefaction that the collection will not be formed on the surface of thecloth; and if the pores or meshes of the cloth be made sufficientlylarge to induce the required draft, then the metallic fumes will escapeand be wasted; and I am also aware that ithas been tried to effect theseparation of the air and other foreign gases from the gaseous productsof the distillation of zinc by drawing or forcingthe airand foreigngases through the pores or meshes of screens placed in thecollecting-chamber or the flue; but this has been found to beimpracticable, for the reason that the amount of surface presented bysuch screen or screens is insufficient for the separation, unless thecollecting-chamber be made of so great a capacity as to occupy an amountof room too great for practical purposes. I do not therefore wish to bennde stood as making claim, broadly, to the use of a screen or screenswith forced currents for the separation of air and other foreign gasesfrom the gaseous products of y, distillation, nor do I claim,separately, making the collectingchambers of woven cloth when this isnot used in combination with the means of pro-V ducing a forced current;but

Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

The use of aporous or fibrous bag or receiving-chamber with porous sidesor bottom, or an air-tight chamber with a straining or porous bagadapted to the inside thereof, and used in connection either with ablowing or exhausting apparatus, so that the products of thedistillation and oxigenation of zinc or other volatile metals may beseparated from the accompanying air and gases, which latter Y will beforced or otherwise drawn through the porcs of the cloth bag or chamberand escape into the atmosphere.

S. T. JONES.

Witnesses: i

GHARLns N. BAMBURGH, E. G. HoLBRoox.

